Forever Love on Fireweed Island (Island County Book 4) (21 page)

It didn’t take long for Jake to reply.

Are you sure about this? That it’s the right guy? Isn’t he some famous author and photographer? But sure. I’m down. Why would he be in Seattle?

I’d been holding in my breath and let it out in one big gush. I realized Jake had become my recent safety net. I wanted him to be there for me on many levels, which wasn’t necessarily fair to him.

Thank you and sorry. I didn’t want to cancel on our date tonight, and I’d rather just put this to rest once and for all.

He typed back.

Should I be worried that you might run away with this guy once you meet him?

I smiled and wondered if that was even a possibility. Now that the fear was subsiding, the excitement was building. This was BlznBookie, after all. The guy who does things I only dream about, who writes in such beautiful prose I can’t even absorb it all at times, and I’m about to meet him. This could be the biggest letdown in the history of not-so-chance encounters.

Or it could be pretty amazing.

After all, it wasn’t like Jake wanted to move our relationship any deeper. I feel like that became pretty apparent after another one-sided soul revealing chat this morning.

Another text popped over.

Are you there?

I’d left him hanging. Maybe that was exactly what Jake needed—a reminder that while he might be the only man on Fireweed I was interested in, he wasn’t the only man in the world to catch my attention.

Sorry. Yeah. I hadn’t thought of running off with anyone until you mentioned it. I guess if he turns out to be Jack London, I just might have to give you the slip.

He texted back.

Whoever this guy is, don’t be fooled into believing his story. I’m sure most of it is fabricated. Don’t forget, I’m the guy with Todd and a fondness for seagulls. I’m the real Jack London, minus a few bad habits.

I chuckled and wrote back.

I’m not sure that’s really selling much, but I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.

He wrote back.

You do that. I’ll see ya a little after six and we’ll head to the ferry. This ought to be a good show.

My smile grew and I shook my head.

Unfortunately, I’m inclined to agree with you.

It was time to move my attention to Natty. What in the world was she thinking? I dialed her shop phone and waited for her to answer, which only took a quick second. Val’s eyes connected with mine from across the library, and I motioned that I was going to step outside. She gave a quick wave, and out I trundled as Natty kept saying “Hello” into the cell.

“What in the world has gotten into you?” I asked, crossing the street. This conversation could start over the phone, but it had to end in person.

“How do you figure?” she asked. I could hear snipping in the background as she sliced the tips off of stems of flowers.

“Getting Nick to track down my blog guy and author crush?” I breathed into the phone as I hustled down the sidewalk towards Natty’s flower shop.

The phone went silent for a second and then she chuckled.

“I didn’t actually think he’d get in touch with him or persuade the guy to meet you.”

I swung open the door to see a horrified Natty. She kept her scissors firmly in her grip as I ended the call and marched over to her. It was hard not to be distracted by the fresh smell of roses and chrysanthemums, but I was on a mission.

“I never interfered when it came to Cole,” I told her.

“Maybe you should have,” Natty answered flatly.

I hadn’t counted on that for a response, but I didn’t let that stop me.

“Why would I want to meet someone who I’m perfectly happy with from afar?” I placed my hands on my hips.

“I don’t know. Maybe because you’re human?”

“Doubtful.”

Natty crinkled her nose and laughed.

“In all seriousness, I never expected Nick to move with such swiftness, and once things fell into place, I kind of thought maybe it was meant to be, so I just let him run with it.”

I slid onto one of the stools and smiled. “If I hadn’t met Jake, I’d be all over this.”

“I know.” Natty grinned as she put down the scissors just far enough out of my reach.

I glanced around her shop, where every crevice had been filled with red, white, and blue knickknacks and flowers in honor of the upcoming holiday. The crowning jewel was her front window display with a pair of white wicker chairs surrounding a table with a centerpiece exploding with red roses and blue delphinium.

“I had no idea there were so many blue flowers in the world.”

Natty’s smile curved higher. “Nice try.”

“I’m going to Hound Island for the Fourth.”

“With Jake?” Natty studied me, and I knew she could pull every single worry out of me and overanalyze it before packing it up with a tidy bow.

I nodded. “His mom has a big festival every year. I think she’s actually the one who extended the invitation.”

“I’m sure she can’t wait to date you.”

“Fine. Maybe it’s from him. He’s hard to read.”

“What aren’t you saying?” she asked.

“I just can’t get much out of the guy. I hear things around town about his nasty divorce or how he doesn’t like people, yet that’s not what I see from him. This morning, I—”

“This morning?” Her eyes grew twice the size.

“Not like that. He stopped by to drop off books.”

“He knows the way to your heart already.” She propped her elbows on the counter.

“Being that I’m a librarian, that’s a pretty fair assumption. Anyway, I feel like I laid it on him. I started in on him about needing him to open up, and I had to truly know someone I was with and on and on. Why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut and just enjoy the ride? Maybe he’ll only be a rebound, but why ruin it before I even get there?”

She chuckled and let out a groan. “You do remember you’re talking to a woman who waited how long to reunite with her first and only real boyfriend?”

“It was only a couple of years.” I grinned.

“Try eight.”

“So you’re saying . . . I’m doomed?”

“I’m saying you need to let him open up to you how he wants, if he wants.”

“And if he doesn’t open up?” I asked.

“Then you’ll know.”

My phone buzzed, and it was a text from Nick.

BlznBookie canceled.

“So your fantasy guy is a little shy?” Jake said, nodding.

“I wouldn’t say so,” I protested. “He’s probably got a really busy schedule, but he’s not my dream guy.”

Jake’s lip twitched slightly. “Has he mentioned on his blog why he’s in Seattle?”

“No, but often, he doesn’t post about where he’s been until after the fact.”

“Curious.”

It felt like Jake might be getting a little jealous.

“Why don’t you let me take you on some real-life adventures?”

We were sitting at Norma’s café. I was eating their famous Fireweed grilled cheese, and he was having a burger. I hadn’t even thought about Blzn until Jake brought him up. Truth be told, I was beyond relieved not to meet him tonight.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Hang gliding or bungee jumping,” he replied with an evil grin.

“You wouldn’t do that to me.” I shook my head and took a bite of grilled cheese.

“I don’t know. You might like it.”

“Doubtful. Look.” I held up my trembling hands. “I’m falling apart just thinking about it.”

“How about we start with a nice picnic overlooking the lavender farm for the Fourth? Would that work for you?”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” I agreed. It was hard to believe the holiday was only a few days away. “My kind of adventure.”

A few minutes of quiet lingered between us as we ate.

“You’re right, you know,” he said softly.

“About what in particular?” I brought my gaze back to his.

“You deserve better.”

“Better what?” I asked, tilting forward in the booth.

“Better from me.”

“You’ve been pretty spectacular so far.”

“What you said earlier resonated with me. I haven’t wanted anything from my past to hurt my chances, so I’ve kept things light.”

“Chances?” I questioned.

“With you.”

“It would take a lot to ruin your chances,” I confessed, which brought a smile to his lips.

“Is that so?”

“Pretty sure.”

“It sounds like staying quiet would do more damage.”

“Possibly. I’m a curious person by nature. I just don’t want to feel like I’m being had.”

“Did your ex keep a lot of things from you?”

“Just about everything.”

Jake nodded and drew in a deep breath.

“I don’t want to be your rebound guy, and I don’t think you want me to be either.”

“What do you think I want you to be?” I asked tentatively.

“A friend—”

My heart tumbled to the floor.

“Who will share pieces of my life with you,” he continued. “You deserve someone who will tell you what you want to know.” He let out a deep breath. “I don’t have secrets. I just haven’t gotten around to telling you everything because it’s not exactly nice.”

“I didn’t mean to push. It’s not usually my style. I . . . I don’t even know.” I pressed my lips together and saw the way he looked at me. “I figured it out. You’re too intriguing for your own good.”

A smug smile flashed across his lips. “More intriguing than your online crush?”

I groaned and tossed my napkin in his direction, but he dodged it just in time.

“I’m not gonna lie. You’re facing some stiff competition.”

“Story of my life.”

“The narrative appears to be in your favor most of the time.”

“How do you figure?” his brow arched.

“Dotty and Todd are pretty fabulous roommates.”

He nodded. “They are all pretty special.” I picked up on hurt pounding each syllable, and I was thrown for a complete loop.

“I actually started raising them before my marriage ended.” I watched him swallow something down that surprised me.

“Was it her idea?”

“No. She doesn’t have any sympathy for things with a beating heart besides herself.”

I held back surprise in my gaze.

“And that is why I don’t talk much about my marriage. I can’t seem to get anything out without winning the bitterness award.”

“I’m sure there are reasons you feel that way.”

“The man you married and the woman I married sound an awful lot alike, and that kind of freaked me out when I first realized it.”

“Well, hopefully, they don’t find each other in the world and wreak havoc on all mankind.”

“How’d you move all the alpacas up to Fireweed?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“I raise mine for the fleece. They become part of my family. As you can see, they all have personalities.”

“That’s an understatement,” I muttered.

“When I was on a trip, I came back and they were all gone.”

Pain darted through his eyes and he bit his lip.

“Before I’d left, she told me she wanted a divorce. I think she expected me to beg her to stay and plead with her to change her mind. I didn’t.”

“So she punished you.”

“I knew I had to get out as soon as I could. We had a pre-nup agreement, and she fought it. I didn’t even care. I just wanted as far away from her as I could get. I held up hope that she had a heart, but I think some people are literally missing a moral compass.”

“Had she done things like that before?”

He nodded. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t astute enough to realize she’d always had a master plan.”

“How so?”

“I had no intentions of marrying her.” He grimaced, and my stomach knotted, not liking where this was going.

“But she told me she was pregnant. I’m sure you can guess what happened next.”

I nodded in disbelief.

“I’ve never been a naïve person, but I totally fell for her schemes left and right. She had wanted to get married before she had the baby, so, of course, I agreed. When she told me we suffered a miscarriage, I fully believed her. I mean, who would lie about that?”

“I can’t even imagine.”

“I worked really hard to make her life simpler because I felt I was somehow responsible for what happened. I was out of town when she said it had taken place. I didn’t learn it was a lie until two years later when we were at her doctor’s. I found out she’d never been pregnant when the doctor reviewed her chart aloud for another problem she’d had. She didn’t even seem to care that she’d been outed.”

I sat stunned, sickened into silence, and I realized I didn’t even want to know this woman’s name. I fully understood why he kept it from me.

“Anyway, I was only married for three years, but they were the most grueling three years of my life.”

“I honestly can’t believe that she’d do all that. That’s not a healthy mind.”

“I can’t imagine what more she could have accomplished had we spent more time together. She’d been sleeping around almost from the beginning of the marriage, so I really didn’t understand why she ever felt the need to do the things she did. There was never any love there.”